Liverpool have said that plans for their new stadium at Stanley Park have been
delayed again, this time in part due to the current credit crunch.

The announcement had been expected as the club's American owners have had trouble raising the £400 million needed for the project.

The club statement said: "Our commitment to building a new world-class LFC stadium is undiminished. Like many other major development projects in the UK and overseas we are affected by global market conditions and as such work on the project will be delayed in the short term.

"We will use this period productively and revisit the plans for the stadium to increase its capacity to 73,000 seats."

When the Americans took over 18 months ago they immediately redesigned previous plans and had to allow for new planning permission.

However, despite being hit by previous hold-ups, the latest set-up is also thought to have been down to the current credit crunch.

Yesterday it was also revealed that EU grants to fund re-generation of the Anfield area had been withdrawn.

The cash, around £5m, had been earmarked by the European Regional Development Fund for a community partnership centre as part of the new stadium.

But the timescale involved meant the money had to be re-allocated last November and the stadium centre will now have to be fully funded by Liverpool FC.

The £5mwill now be spent on four community centres in north Liverpool.

It is also believed that the club have yet to officially sign the lease from the council for the Stanley Park site, and contractors have also yet to sign formal agreements.

It is now possible that north-west regional development grants may not be paid to the club. Meetings with Liverpool City Council recently also failed to confirm when building work would start.

Today's announcement will only add fuel to the claims that Liverpool's owners are unable to fund the work, and re-ignite suggestions they may have to sell the club.

Earlier this year, fears had been raised that Hicks would be unable to fund the club's new home after delaying the building of a stadium in Texas.

Hicks admittted back in May that he had been unable to secure financing for the Glorypark mixed-use development in Arlington, Texas that was scheduled to open in March 2010 citing the troubled retail market.